RNA silencing is an important mechanism to regulate gene expression and antiviral defense in plants. Nevertheless, RNA silencing machinery in the important oil crop Brassica napus and function in resistance to the devastating fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are not well-understood. In this study, gene families of RNA silencing machinery in B. napus were identified and their role in res...

A detailed genetic linkage map of Brassica rapa has been constructed containing 545 sequence-tagged loci covering 1287 cM, with an average mapping interval of 2.4 cM. The loci were identified using a combination of 520 RFLP and 25 PCR-based markers. RFLP probes were derived from 359 B. rapa EST clones and amplification products of 11 B. rapa and 26 Arabidopsis. Including 21 SSR markers provided...

The two genomes (A and C) of the allopolyploid Brassica napus have been clearly distinguished using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) despite the fact that the two extant diploids, B. rapa (A, n = 10) and B. oleracea (C, n = 9), representing the progenitor genomes, are closely related. Using DNA from B. oleracea as the probe, with B. rapa DNA and the intergenic spacer of the B. oleracea 45S ...

Canola (Brassica rapa) is an oilseed crop that is related to broccoli (Brassica oleracea var Italica) and turnip (Brassica campestris var Rapifera). The name ‘canola’ actually stands for ‘Canadian oil, low acid’. Canola’s low erucic acid content differentiates it from rapeseed (Brassica napus) and is sometimes referred to as LEAR or ‘low erucic acid rapeseed.’ Canola seed contains about 40% oil...

A water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP) in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) was purified and its N-terminal sequence was determined. Forty-six of 48 residues of the sequence completely matched those of the drought-induced 22-kD protein (BnD22) in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). All 40 sequenced residues of WSCP from rapeseed were perfectly matched to those of BnD22. Thus, WSCP may be identic...

BACKGROUND Rapeseed-mustard is the second most important source of edible oil in India. Several species of Brassica are grown in different parts of country for its oilseeds. OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate allergenicity to antigenic extracts of pollen of 4 species of Brassica. METHODS Brassica campestris, Brassica juncea, Brassica nigra, and Brassica napus were selected for the d...